How cows are helping one of Britain's rarest butterflies
Conservationists in Wales are using cattle grazing to help restore the habitat of the rare high brown fritillary butterfly. By managing bracken growth, the cows help maintain the specific ecosystem required for the butterfly's caterpillars to thrive.
Why it matters
This project demonstrates how traditional agricultural practices can be repurposed to combat biodiversity loss and protect endangered species.
Figure caption, How volunteers help one of Britain's rarest butterflies
Wales correspondent Published 1 hour ago With its brilliant orange wings and black markings, the high brown fritillary butterfly was once widespread in Wales and England.
But now it's one of the rarest of all British butterflies, with it numbers declining by 62% since 1970.
One reason is its incredibly specific requirements to survive.
"They are the pickiest," says Paul Dunn, who for more than 30 years has been working hard among the bracken of the Alun Valley at Old Castle Down, in the Vale of Glamorgan, to revive the butterfly's fortunes.
And now, the volunteers have enlisted the help of a far more common animal, by allowing cows to graze on the site.
Image source, Paul Dunn Image caption, Butterfly Conservation says there has been a dramatic decline in numbers of high brown fritillaries since the 1950s
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